Salem, Ore. – A group of over 50 workers, small business owners, and advocates from across the state assembled in Salem today to push elected officials to take action and raise the wage in Oregon.

The group gathered outside the capitol and held one-on-one meetings with their legislators, calling for action to raise the minimum wage and restore local control to allow communities to set wages above and beyond the statewide floor.

During the legislative meetings, the group delivered over 3,800 postcards from Oregonians who support raising the state’s minimum wage and asked their elected leaders to take action before the current session comes to an end.

Earlier in the day, the House Committee on Business and Labor and the Senate Committee on Workforce held a joint informational meeting to consider policy strategies to address poverty in Oregon. During the hearing, SEIU Local 503 Executive Director Heather Conroy and Causa Executive Director Andrea Miller testified in support of one of the most effective means of addressing poverty: raising the minimum wage.

“Raising the minimum wage will bring back an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work, giving Oregonians a chance to be self-sufficient and provide a future for themselves and their children,” said Causa Executive Director Andrea Miller. “Hardworking Oregonians can’t wait any longer – it’s time for legislative leaders to raise the wage so families can thrive and our economy can work for all of us.”

While the legislature has failed to take action to raise the state’s minimum wage during the 2015 session, House Speaker Tina Kotek revived the conversation on Monday when she announced a proposal to raise Oregon’s minimum wage to $13.00 by 2018 and restore the ability of cities and towns to set a local minimum wage that is higher than the statewide floor.